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98 of 103 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Series!, January 18, 2006
WOW! To many Americans, the French and Indian War, was a casual footnote in a long ago history class. Ditto for references to Braddock's Defeat, Fort Duquesne, and Geo. Washington's initial exposure to warfare. To a few more, it might generate a recollection that, if they ever read it, "The Last of the Mohicans" by James F. Cooper, was set during this war. It also inspired Longfellow's epic poem, "Evangeline". A reference to the Siege of Louisbourg or the Plains of Abraham will likely result in a blank look. My experience over the years has been that our Canadian neighbors and friends have, in many ways, a better understanding of what this war meant to North America than we Americans do. I refer not only of the loss of Canada by France to Britain, but the planting and sprouting of issues during this war, that would fuel and feed the sparks of the American Revolution. This series does a wonderful job of taking much history, keeping it factual, chronilogical, understandable, AND, above all, INTERESTING. It somewhat came across as if I were watching an action/adventure/war movie EXCEPT that I've read several dozen books about the French and Indian War (aka the Seven Years War) and the historical accuracy is generally here. To those of you with an Ph.D. in history I say, relax, enjoy, and remember; to those without, view, enjoy, and learn. Your time will be well spent.
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44 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A nicely done overview., March 3, 2006
"The War that Made America" is an overview of most of the major events, and the people involved in them, of the French and Indian War. It's sort of documentary/miniseries hybrid. Like a documentary, it's narrated by an actor- Graham Greene, occasionally shows paintings and drawings from the era, and presents maps to highlight where the historical events took place. However, unlike most documentaries, there are no historians discussing the subject or modern scenes of areas where the battles took place. Instead, the film attempts to bring the main events of the war to life by "re-enacting" them through the use of actors. I'm hestitant to use the word "re-enactment" to describe the live-action scenes because that conjures up images of middle-aged, overweight folks waddling about in period costumes and "dying" melodramatically for the camera. The "War that Made America," although obviously constrained by a low budget, appeared to have made attempts to to avoid the image of "old guys playing army" that unfortunately attaches to most documentaries that rely heavily on the services of amateur historical enthusiasts. The live action scenes are fairly subdued and I didn't notice any 300lb fifty-year old privates or corporals.
For its historical viewpoints, the documentary appears to have relied heavily upon the work of historian Fred Anderson- the author of the "Crucible of War" which is a terrific book on the Seven Years War. Thus, just as Anderson portrayed in his book, the American Indian tribes are shown as serious political players in the struggle and not just peripheral allies as they are usually portrayed by other historians. Further, since Anderson thinks that the guerilla warfare of expertise of American ranger outfits is nothing more than a myth, Robert Rogers and his rangers are not even mentioned which may surprise some people. However, the film does avoid one of Anderson's more loopy beliefs- James Wolfe was suicidal and that battle of the Plains of Abraham was simply a way for him to kill himself.
The documentary focuses on most of the famous events of the war- the attack on Jumonville's glen, the battles of Fort Necessity, Monogahela, the Bloody Morning Scout and Lake George, Fort William Henry, Ticonderoga, and the Plains of Abraham. It also discusses the problems that the British high command had with the colonial assemblies (something Anderson focused heavily on in his book). Near the end, it show some of the events of Pontiac's uprising. Also, the film constantly reminds the viewer that the French and Indian War is crucial to understanding why the American Revolution occured.
That link between the French and Indian War and the American Revolution is mostly demonstrated by the film's portrayal of the key role that young George Washington played in the F&I war and how it shaped his development as a man and as a commander. The role of George Washington is nicely played by Larry Nehring- a Cleveland stage actor who has Washington's imposing height and auburn hair. (Although he's a little too old to be playing a man who was just in early 20's when most of the events of the film take place. The film also has an incredibly overaged "Mary Jemison.)
The film is fairly even handed. It does not pretend that the Indians were not responsible for atrocities such as the Fort William Henry massacre or for what Shawnee raiders did to the Jemison family. Thus, it's not as "PC" as some have complained here especially in light of the fact that there are "historians" out there who have attempted to whitewash every Indian atrocity.
Overall, this was a very nicely done documentary on a fascinating subject. Yes, it had a public TV documentary budget and looks it, but it does appear that the producers tried hard to make every cent count. It provides a nice overview for people not really familiar with this period of history. It probably going to be shown in a lot of schools.
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32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fine set on French and Indian War, June 26, 2006
This long-awaited DVD on the French and Indian War is very good in some respects, but there are some serious setbacks. I don't think it delivers or lives up to what I expected. It's the first mini-series on the entire French and Indian War. There are other videos/DVDs on parts of the war (see my reviews of _When the Forest Ran Red_ and _George Washington's First War_), but this is the first that attacks the whole war. However, I never felt like the series was tied together very well. It just seemed that I was watching four separate DVDs that were somehow related. I never got a sense of the entire war. In all, I felt like I was watching the above-mentioned DVDs again. Second, it's interesting to watch, as there are very well-done reenactments. It's almost like watching a movie. However, many of the scenes are quite intense and violent. Some scenes (there is even a disclaimer at the beginning of each DVD) are not appropriate for young children. Yes, war is violent, but some of the scenes seemed to be included for shock value.
As far as the content goes, I have many issues. Grant's raid on Fort Duquesne is not mentioned. The fall of Frontenac and Louisbourg are given only cursory treatment, which is surprising after the very detailed treatments of Braddock's defeat, Washington's early battles, and the fall of Fort William Henry. The massacre after William Henry gets a lot of time and the DVD tries to downplay the whole incident by stating that not many people were actually killed with respect to the number reportedly killed. I'm not sure why so much time is devoted to this (certainly because of the Last of the Mohicans movies). But it's really not an important episode to the entire war--it should be a footnote.
The role and portrayal of the Indians is almost unbelievable. It starts off with the 'happy Indian' idea, "Dozens of Indian nations coexist in Eastern North America." There is no mention of the discord among the various tribes. Many tribes suffered greatly at the hands of the Iroquois and wanted to throw off their yoke of oppression. Tribes sometimes aligned themselves with one side based on whom their enemies sided with. Another claim is almost stupid, "Captives often had less to fear than they thought." One captive is shown running a gauntlet; but the gauntlet is shown as being a very kind thing. Would that the hazing I got in highschool would have been so tame! The claim is made that the Indians sided with the French because the French were less likely to take the land from them (It's the old "French traders vs. English settlers" idea). This claim is later contradicted, "Without gifts, the Indians will abandon the French." This statement really makes the Indians look like mercenaries who sell their souls for a few trinkets. Unlikely. The Indians were not so stupid--they jumped ship because the English started winning and they wanted to be on the winning side. The final claim about the Indians is just too much, "The support of the Indian nations is necessary for ultimate victory." This is simply not true. In the early stages of the war, every betting man would have put his money on the French. The English were so inept it stupifies the imagination. However, by 1759, the English had shipped the largest army North America had ever seen and turned this into a European-style war. The 'little war' with small bands guided by Indian scouts and allies was a thing of the past. The frontier was simply a sideshow for the big battles of the North. Quebec, the real nail in the coffin for the French, was a classic European-style battle. The Indians by this time had become nearly irrelevant (consider their treatment by the English after the war which led to Pontiac's Rebellion). The West was nearly forgotten by this time. Unfortunately, the set gives much more time to the early West and treats the later battles in the North only as a nuisance that must be given some coverage.
My final criticism: this set really is the story of George Washington, not about the war itself. It seems like a retelling of the other two DVDs I mentioned--that's not bad, but not much is new.
Well, is there anything that really stands out in this set? Yes, the section on the after war years leading up to the Revolution is fantastic. I can't say enough good about it. It really underscores the differences in goals between the British and Americans. The Americans wanted land and the British, well, I don't think they really knew what they wanted. The Break seems almost inevitalbe. This part is very well done.
Is this set worth watching? Yes, but just keep in mind that it's a bit unbalanced and has some problems.
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